Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Back In Control

Who loves the Detroit Red Wings? We do, we do. Thanks to the Red Wings' 2-0 shutout of the Edmonton Oilers last night, the Vancouver Canucks once again have control of their own playoff destiny. It's almost appropriate that Playland opens this weekend, what with the rollercoaster of emotions of the last couple of weeks.The Canucks have won their two previous meetings against the Sharks this season, although both games were played before the Joe Thornton trade. And we all know the huge impact Thornton has had on 50-goal scorer Jonathan Cheechoo and the Sharks.

"With that duo, you have to play off a little bit and try to buy time and wait for help," added Baumgartner. "And with Thornton down low in the corners, you can't really go to him. It's like Jaromir Jagr. As soon as you feel him on your back, he's so strong that he takes it to the net and you're left in the dust. You have to play a solid positioning game against them and not buy into the temptation to jump at them."

"We're not going to get in through the back door so we're going to have to face this challenge head on," said Canucks winger Anson Carter. "That's how I see it and that's how the guys in the room see it, too."

We've seen in the last couple of weeks, however, that knowing and saying are far different from doing. Right now, Canucks fans just want them to "do".*****On a related note, a big thanks to Jonathan Woodward for the mention in today's Globe and Mail. :)